Topic 14

Dealing with the past

The authors did not refer directly to the need to take account of the feelings that have been aroused by living through a violent conflict in a divided society. However, the extracts from the Agreement below show that it is recognized that those feelings should not be ignored. They can also have a practical impact on political progress because many people feel bitterness and resentment about past hurts and wrongs and they can find it difficult to work with people who they perceive to have been responsible for their pain, whether they be politicians, members of the security forces, members of paramilitary groups for example. The extract from Mag Uidhir shows another way in which past experiences can affect the present because they influence current patterns of thought and make it difficult to take the risk of adopting specific proposals or trusting old adversaries.

There is an apparent paradox in dealing with the past. In order to move on and make positive decisions about the future it is necessary to leave past bitter experiences behind. But if hurts and grievances from the past are not dealt with then they will continue to bedevil future progress. A further irony is that often those with the most power can ensure that their concerns are dealt with while those with least power, such as those who have suffered in the past, have no way to ensure redress for their grievances. The difficulty is how to deal with these realities in a fair and open way.

Exercise 1

1. As a group consider the extracts from the Agreement and list the proposed ways of dealing with the past. (5 minutes)

2. Taking each measure in turn assess which groups might be satisfied with what is proposed. (10 minutes)

3. Which groups might be disappointed or offended by the proposal? (10 minutes)

4. Identify other ways in which different sections of the community could be reconciled with the past. (10 minutes)

5. If you were able to think of alternative approaches, speculate on why they have not been adopted at this point. (5 minutes)

Exercise 2

Dealing with one aspect of the past may be beneficial for one group, but may also increase the hurt for others.

1. Consider and discuss the following statement: “In a peace process true justice is impossible because some people (perhaps many people) have to be given immunity from prosecution from past actions in order to gain their support for the peace process, and therefore many injured people may never see brought to justice those they hold responsible.” (15 minutes)

2. How true is the statement in relation to the Northern Ireland peace process? (10 minutes)

3. If it is true, how can the hurt be minimised? Can the process of immunity and amnesty be made more palatable? (10 minutes)

Exercise 3

Using a role play compare how different groups might present the issues which are important to them in dealing with the past.

1. Divide the group into two subgroups that will prepare a role-play for the whole group. One group will prepare a role-play on a meeting between the two governments and an organization for paramilitary ex-prisoners. The ex-prisoners group will want the government to move more quickly on the release of political prisoners and the provision of support for prisoners after release. The other group will prepare a role-play on a meeting between the two governments and an organization for those who have suffered as a result of the conflict. The group for survivors will want the government to provide more generous and specific support for those who have survived.

2. Divide the two smaller groups, in one case into those who will take the roles of the representatives of the British and Irish governments and those who will take the roles of the delegation from the ex-prisoners’ organization and in the other group into those who will take the roles of the representatives of the British and Irish governments and those who will take the roles of the delegation from the survivors’ organization. (5 minutes)

3. In separate groups for each set of participants in the role-play, prepare their approach and points they wish to raise. (5 minutes)

4. Play out each situation in turn before the whole group. (20 minutes).

5. Discuss the different concerns of each group and how they can be reconciled. Assess also the nature of the responses by government in the role-play. (15 minutes)

Extracts

The tragedies of the past have left a deep and profoundly regrettable legacy of suffering. We must never forget those who have died or been injured, and their families. But we can best honour them through a fresh start, in which we firmly dedicate ourselves to the achievement of reconciliation, tolerance, and mutual trust, and to the protection and vindication of the human rights of all.
Declaration of Support, Belfast Agreement

The participants believe that it is essential to acknowledge and address the suffering of the victims of violence as a necessary element of reconciliation. They look forward to the results of the work of the Northern Ireland Victims Commission.

It is recognized that victims have a right to remember as well as to contribute to a changed society. The achievement of a peaceful and just society would be the true memorial to the victims of violence. The participants particularly recognize that young people from areas affected by the troubles face particular difficulties and will support the development of special community-based initiatives based on international best practice. The provision of services that are supportive and sensitive to the needs of victims will also be a critical element and that support will need to be channelled through both statutory and community-based voluntary organizations facilitating locally based self-help and support networks. This will require the allocation of sufficient resources, including statutory funding as necessary, to meet the needs of victims and to provide for community-based support programmes.

The participants recognise and value the work being done by many organizations to develop reconciliation and mutual understanding and respect between and within communities and traditions, in Northern Ireland and between North and South, and they see such work as having a vital role in consolidating peace and political agreement. Accordingly, they pledge their continuing support to such organizations and will positively examine the case for enhanced financial assistance for the work of reconciliation. An essential aspect of the reconciliation process is the promotion of a culture of tolerance at every level of society, including initiatives to facilitate and encourage integrated education and mixed housing.
Rights, Safeguards and Equality of Opportunity, Belfast Agreement

The participants recognize that policing is a central issue in any society. They equally recognise that Northern Ireland’s history of deep divisions has made it highly emotive, with great hurt suffered and sacrifices made by many individuals and their families, including those in the RUC and other public servants. They believe that the agreement provides the opportunity for a new beginning to policing in Northern Ireland with a police service capable of attracting and sustaining support from the community as a whole.
Policing, Belfast Agreement

After the 1974—76 ceasefire, the IRA had come closer to defeat than at any other time during the conflict. It was reorganized and geared towards a long war of attrition, Gerry Adams took on the task of developing a strong political party, moving Sinn Fein beyond simply being a support group for the IRA. ‘Ceasefire’ had became a dirty word in the Republican vocabulary, and therefore the steps to the 1994 cessation had to be slow and patient, ensuring that the movement’s unity and cohesion were maintained above all else.... The republicans’ chief fear was that any protracted cessation would be used by the British government to sap the will and ability of the IRA to wage war — as had been their experience of 1975.
Séan Mag Uidhir (Republican)

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